A virtual workplace is a
workplace
A workplace is a location where someone Work (human activity), works, for their employer or themselves, a place of employment. Such a place can range from a Small office/home office, home office to a large office building or factory. For Indust ...
that is not located in any one physical space. It is usually a network of several workplaces technologically connected (via a private network or the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
) without regard to geographic boundaries. Employees are thus able to interact in a
collaborative working environment
A collaborative working environment (CWE) supports people, such as e-professionals, in their individual and cooperative work. Research in CWE involves focusing on organizational, technical, and social issues.
Background
Working practices in a coll ...
regardless of where they are located. A virtual workplace integrates hardware, people, and online processes.
History
As
information technology
Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...
began to play a greater role in the daily operations of organizations, virtual workplaces developed as an augmentation or alternative to traditional work environments of rooms, cubicles and office buildings.
Types
Individual virtual workplaces vary in how they apply existing technology to facilitate team cooperation:
1.
Remote work
Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, ware ...
: the availability and use of communications technologies, such as the Internet, to work in an offsite location.
2.
Hot desking
Hot desking (sometimes called "non-reservation-based hoteling") is an office organization system that involves multiple workers using a single physical work station or surface during different time periods. The "desk" in the name refers to a tabl ...
: employees do not have individual desks but are rather each day allocated to a desk where they can access technology services including the Internet, email and computer network files. This is similar to "hotelling": recognizing that employees spend more time at clients' offices than at the employer's office, they are not assigned a permanent desk.
3.
Virtual team
A virtual team (also known as a geographically dispersed team, distributed team, or remote team) usually refers to a group of individuals who work together from different geographic locations and rely on communication technology such as email, inst ...
: employees collaborate by working closely together and in regular contact, although physically located in different parts of the world.
Drivers
There are several factors that drive the interest in using virtual workplaces.
Office space and its cost
Office space has become a major expense for many organisations, and virtual meetings can save money and be a direct substitute of meeting face to face. One response has been to reduce the amount of space each employee occupies. Another is to increase the flexibility of the office's layout and design. It is not easy to make the most of these approaches and keep employees happy—unless flexible work practices are also used.
Demographic change
There are more women in the workforce, more employees of other nationalities, increased participation from indigenous people and the average age of employees is increasing. These trends are forcing employers to rethink how they employ and manage staff and how they respond to employee interests and demands.
Fuel and energy costs
The expenses of the energy consumption to physically commute are increasing rapidly. Planners and public policymakers share a strong belief that
remote work
Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, ware ...
with a virtual workspace is one of the most sustainable and competitive modes of commuting in terms of travel time and cost, flexibility, and environmental impacts.
Challenges
Some common challenges are:
# Failure to leverage the technology that supports virtual workplaces, resulting in decreased productivity
# Lack of human contact could cause decreased team spirit, trust and productivity (and researchers indicate trust is a vital aspect)
# Increased sensitivity to communication, interpersonal and cultural factors
# Cultural diversity is not yet achieving the expected benefits
#Virtual offices might cause a lack of social interactions and creativity since the on-site office is often one of the most important source of stress for employees.
See also
*
*
Virtual team
A virtual team (also known as a geographically dispersed team, distributed team, or remote team) usually refers to a group of individuals who work together from different geographic locations and rely on communication technology such as email, inst ...
References
* Dempster, Mik
Team - Building key for virtual workplaceRetrieved on June 26, 2006
* Powell, Ann
Virtual Teams - A review of current literature and directions for future researchRetrieved on June 26, 2006
* Yager, Susa
Everything's coming up virtualRetrieved on June 26, 2006
* Greenlee, Dan
Building a community in the virtual workplaceRetrieved on June 26, 2006
* Stephen Haag, Maeve Cummings, Donald McCubbrey, Alain Pinsonneault and Richard Donovan Third Canadian Edition Management Information Systems for the Information Age Mcgraw-Hill Ryerson, Canada, 2006
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